Before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nominated Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate in 2022, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the Plateau was coasting home to a resounding victory ahead of the 2023 general elections. The party had built broad acceptance across religious and ethnic divides, capitalizing on its record of development and internal cohesion. However, the announcement of Shettima’s nomination dramatically altered the political mood in Plateau State.
His nomination sparked a dangerous religious narrative, one that was quickly weaponized by opposition forces. This campaign of fear and suspicion sowed deep distrust among the largely Christian electorate in the state, who were misled into viewing the APC as a threat to their faith. Despite enormous efforts to douse the tension; including the intervention of the President’s wife, herself a pastor who engaged with church leaders, the party suffered setbacks. The APC came second in the presidential election and narrowly lost the governorship by a slim margin that could have gone the other way under fairer political conditions.
Following his swearing-in, the Governor of Plateau State immediately embarked on a vindictive political purge. He illegally dissolved all democratically elected local government councils, most of which were controlled by the APC. In one fell swoop, he dismissed chairmen, vice chairmen, over 300 councillors, and supervisory officials, replacing them with handpicked loyalists. This unlawful action, later nullified by a competent court, severely eroded APC’s grassroots structure and morale. Yet, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the natural leader of the APC in Northern Nigeria, looked the other way.
Shettima’s silence became deafening when the Plateau Governor refused to swear in APC members of the State House of Assembly duly declared winners by the Court of Appeal and issued certificates of return by INEC. Instead of upholding the rule of law, the Governor coerced these members to sign resignation letters before they were grudgingly sworn in. The Vice President again stood aloof, allowing this gross subversion of democracy to fester. The result has been a fragmented legislative caucus and a weakened APC structure in the state.
It must be emphasized that the office of the Vice President carries moral and political responsibility beyond the corridors of Aso Rock. As the most senior elected official from Northern Nigeria in the APC hierarchy, Shettima is expected to defend the party’s interests across the region. His continued detachment from the struggles of APC members in Plateau State raises serious questions about his commitment to the unity and survival of the party in the North.
Ironically, despite being a predominantly Christian state, Plateau gave the Tinubu–Shettima ticket more votes than Shettima’s own home state of Borno. This loyalty was demonstrated by a populace that rose above prejudice to vote for competence and continuity. One would expect that such political maturity would attract protection and appreciation from the Vice President. Instead, what Plateau APC has received is silence in the face of persecution.
The Plateau Governor’s acts of political vendetta have not been limited to elected officials alone. Hundreds of young Plateau citizens employed under the previous administration were summarily dismissed without due process, simply for being perceived APC supporters. Even after the National Industrial Court nullified these terminations, the Governor defied the ruling. Yet, the Vice President, who should stand as the conscience of the ruling party, has remained indifferent, allegedly due to his personal friendship with the Governor.
This disturbing trend of silence has demoralized the rank and file of the APC in Plateau State. Party loyalists watched helplessly as their rights were trampled upon, their mandates stolen, and their means of livelihood destroyed. But a new dawn has since emerged. The election of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe as the National Chairman of the APC has injected renewed vigor into the party, restoring hope, discipline, and strategic direction.
Under Professor Nentawe’s leadership, Plateau APC has regained stability and confidence. Prominent political heavyweights, including former allies of the Governor, have returned to the fold. The mass defections into the APC from across the state are a testament to his visionary leadership and the people’s rejection of oppression. In less than six months, Plateau APC has risen from the ashes, thanks to Nentawe’s courage and inclusive approach.
This development begs the question: of what value is the Plateau State Governor to the APC? How can a man who labored to cripple the party now seek refuge under its platform for political survival? His record of hostility toward the APC makes his current maneuvers both suspicious and unacceptable. The APC cannot afford to reward betrayal with political accommodation.
While governors from other states are joining the APC with their structures intact, bringing along senators, assembly members, and grassroots networks, the Plateau Governor has none of such political assets to offer. All National Assembly members from Plateau, save one, are already in the APC. Out of 24 state assembly members, 22 are in the APC. The few remaining belong to minor parties such as ADC, YPP, and Labour Party—none aligned with the Governor.
The Governor’s isolation is glaring. His own political allies have deserted him; his local government power base has crumbled. Even his campaign Director General has joined the APC. His ward chairman in the PDP has crossed over to the ruling party. These developments underscore the political wisdom and magnetism of Professor Nentawe’s leadership, which has continued to consolidate APC’s dominance on the Plateau.
Vice President Shettima must, therefore, be wary of allowing personal friendships to cloud his political judgment. The APC cannot afford to harbor a governor whose every action has been to destroy its structure, demoralize its members, and ridicule its leadership. The Vice President must rise to the demands of leadership by standing firmly with the party and its legitimate interests, not with those who once fought to bury it.
For the APC to maintain its newfound stability and momentum on the Plateau, Shettima must align with the vision of the National Chairman, who is steadily rebuilding the party’s foundation. Any attempt to foist Governor Mutfwang on Plateau APC will only reopen old wounds, resurrect divisions, and undo the progress already achieved.
Plateau APC stands today as a symbol of resilience. From betrayal and suppression, it has found new strength under purposeful leadership. But this fragile stability must not be jeopardized by political miscalculations at the top. The Vice President must choose between friendship and fairness, between personal ties and party loyalty.
In the end, history will not remember Shettima for how many friends he kept in power, but for how many institutions he defended when they were under siege. The APC on the Plateau deserves his protection, his voice, and his leadership. Silence, at this stage, is no longer golden.
Dalyop Bitrus resides in Jos
